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Martin Tupper
Martin Farquhar Tupper (17 July 1810 - November 1889) was an English poet and prose writer, best known as the author of the Proverbial Philosophy. Life Overview Tupper, son of a surgeon, was born in London, educated at Charterhouse School and Oxford, and called to the Bar in 1835. He, however, believed that literature was his vocation, and wrote many works in prose and verse, only 1 of which, Proverbial Philosophy, had much success. But the vogue which it had was enormous, especially in America. It is a singular collection of commonplace observations set forth in a form which bears the appearance of verse, but has neither rhyme nor meter, and has long since found its deserved level. He also wrote War Ballads, Rifle Ballads, and Protestant Ballads, various novels, and an autobiography. Tupper was likewise an inventor, but his ideas in this area had not much success.John William Cousin, "Tupper, Martin Farquhar," A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London: Dent / New York: Dutton, 1910, 387. Wikisource, Web, Mar. 13, 2018. Family Tupper was the eldest son of Dr. Martin Tupper, F.R.S. (died 8 December 1844, aged 65), a well-known physician of New Burlington Street, who was twice offered a baronetcy, first by Lord Liverpool and then by the Duke of Wellington (Gentleman's Magazine 1845, i. 106). The poet's mother was Ellin (Devis), niece of Arthur William Devis and daughter of Robert Marris, a landscape-painter and a native of Lincolnshire; she died in 1847.Seccombe, 318. Youth and education Martin was born at 20 Devonshire Place, Marylebone, on 17 July 1810, After education at Charterhouse (1821–6), he matriculated from Christ Church, Oxford, on 21 May 1828, and earning a B.A. in 1832 and an M.A. in 1835. In 1831 he won Dr. Burton's theological essay prize, Gladstone coming 2nd. He entered Lincoln's Inn on 18 Jan. 1832, and was called to the bar in 1835, but never practised as a barrister. Career In 1832 appeared his 1st work, Sacra Poesis, which is now sought by the curious, and in 1838 Geraldine, a "sequel to Christabel" (see Blackwood's Magazine December 1838). In the same year the 1st part of Proverbial Philosophy was written in his chambers at 21 Old Square, Lincoln's Inn. Some fragments had been written as early as 1827. The original edition of 1838 attained a very moderate success, while its 1st appearance in America was almost a failure. It was quoted by Willis in the Home Journal, on the supposition that it was the forgotten work of a 17th-century writer; but the style with its queer inversions bears more resemblance to the English of an erudite German of the 19th century.Seccombe, 319. The demand for the Proverbial Philosophy increased rapidly, and for 25 years there were never fewer than 5,000 copies sold annually in England. The work was expanded into 4 series (1839-1876), of which the earlier went through between 50 and 60 editions. It was translated into German and Danish, and into French verse by G. Métivier in 1851. In the illustrated quarto edition of 1881 it is stated that a million copies had been dispersed in America, and a quarter of that number in Great Britain. Vast numbers of fairly educated middle-class people perused these singular rythmical effusions with genuine enthusiasm, and thought that Tupper had eclipsed Solomon. Clever parodies by Cuthbert Bede and others appeared (cf. Punch, 1842; Dodgson, The New Belfry of Christ Church, 1872, sect. 13), and the book was ably and savagely reviewed in Fraser's Magazine (October 1852) and elsewhere. Tupper persuaded himself that the literary critics who decried his work were a malicious and discredited faction. Yet in due time "Martin Tupper" became a synonym for contemptible commonplace. None of Tupper's other works caught the popular taste, but among them may be noted his War Ballads (1854), Rifle Ballads (1859), Protestant Ballads (1874), and the Rides and Reveries of Mr. Æsop Smith, edited by Peter Query, Esq. (1857), a vigorous and unsparing criticism of "wicked wives, bad servants, dull parsons, hypocritical mercy-mongers and zoilistical critics." Personally Tupper was a vain, genial, warm-hearted man, a close friend and a good hater of cant, hypocrisy, and all other enemies of his country. He remained the butt of the critics for over half a century without being soured. He was of a chivalrous nature, and his feelings sometimes ran away with his judgment; yet he led a forlorn hope in many movements that have since won success. Thus his American and Canadian Ballads tended to promote international kindliness between England and the United States of America; his Rifle Ballads gave a warm support to the volunteer movement at a time when it was most needed, and Mr. Æsop Smith was strong on the reform of the divorce laws. Tupper was also an early friend to the colonising of Liberia, and he gave a gold medal for the encouraging of African literature. Both in prose and verse he urged upon his countrymen the duty of national defense, and several of his suggestions were adopted by the authorities. He further displayed considerable ingenuity as an inventor (My Life, 217). A fellow of the Royal Society, he had the courage to enter a protest against vivisection at 1 of the society's meetings. In the prince consort's time he was frequently seen at St. James's (in a Queen Anne court suit), thinking it right to make his "duteous bow, whenever some poetic offering had been received" (ib. 222). He was welcomed enthusiastically on his 2 visits to America in 1851 and 1876. During the zenith of his fame (1850-1860) he received many distinguished visitors at his house at Albury, near Guildford, among them Nathaniel Hawthorne, who ill requited his hospitality by some not too agreeable remarks in his English Notebooks. During the next few years he experienced heavy losses owing to the failure of an insurance office, and, though he overcame the impediment in his speech which had been an obstacle in early life, he was unable to recoup his losses by lecturing. In 1883 he was presented with a public testimonial by some of his admirers (Times, 25 and 26 September 1883). In 1886 he published his naive Autobiography and his Jubilate in honor of Queen Victoria. He died at Albury, Surrrey, after a short illness, on 29 November 1889, and was buried in Albury churchyard. By his 2nd cousin Isabella, daughter of Arthur William Devis (his mother's uncle), whom he married in 1835, he left a large family. Writing Tupper's published works comprised more than 39 volumes. Of his earlier works numerous editions were published in America, where collective editions of his Works appeared at Philadelphia, 1851, and also at New York, Boston, and Hartford. Gems from Tupper and Selections were also published in London, the latter by Moxon in 1866.Seccombe, 320. Recognition He was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society on 8 May 1845. He was granted the degree of D.C.L. at Oxford in 1847, and received distinctions from several foreign sovereigns, the Prussian gold medal for science and art being forwarded to him by Bünsen in 1844. He accepted on 26 December 1873 a civil list pension of 120l. (Colles, Lit. and the Pension List, 59; Britton, Autobiogr. 1850). Tupper's portrait was frequently engraved. One engraved by J. H. Baker, after Ronchard, was prefixed to many editions of the ‘Proverbial Philosophy.’ A bust by Behnes was lithographed, and a photograph was prefixed to ‘My Life as an Author’ in 1886. In popular culture Tupper is alluded to by Sir W.S. Gilbert in his Bab Ballads. In the poem Ferdinando and Elvira; or, The gentle pieman, Gilbert is describing how 2 lovers are trying to find out who has been putting mottos into "paper crackers" (a sort of 19th Century "fortune cookie"). Gilbert builds up to the following lines, eventually coming up with a spoof of Tupper's own style from Proverbial Philosophy: "Tell me, Henry Wadsworth, Alfred, Poet Close, or Mister Tupper, Do you write the bonbon mottoes my Elvira pulls at supper?" "But Henry Wadsworth smiled, and said he had not had that honour; And Alfred, too disclaimed the words that told so much upon her." "Mister Martin Tupper, Poet Close, I beg of you inform us"; But my question seemed to throw them both into a rage enormous." "Mister Close expressed a wish that he could only get anight to me. And Mr. Martin Tupper sent the following reply to me:--" "A fool is bent upon a twig, but wise men dread a bandit." Which I think must have been clever, for I didn't understand it." (The other 3 poets are Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Alfred, Lord Tennyson (both still read and remembered) and John Close, a scribbler of the mid-Victorian period who wrote to honor local events (some samples are in the classic volume of bad verse, The Stuffed Owl, as is a sample of Tupper's own work).*Gilbert, W.S. Plays & Poems of W.S. Gilbert. New York: Random House, 1932, 938-939. Tupper was also 1 of the worthies mentioned in the "Heavy Dragoon" song in Gilbert's libretto for the Savoy Opera Patience: "Tupper and Tennyson, Daniel Defoe..." In Anthony Trollope's "The Eustace Diamonds", Lucy Morris attempts to read "Tupper's great poem" out of boredom when she's 1st at Lady Linlithgow's house. Karl Marx likens Tupper's style of poetry to the appeal of Utilitarianism. In Das Kapital, he writes, "Bentham is among the philosophers what Tupper is among poets. Both could only have been manufactured in England." Edmund Clerihew Bentley wrote flippantly: "Martin Tupper / Sang for his supper. / Though the supper wasn't nice, / It was cheap at the price." G.K. Chesterton also mentions Tupper in The Man Who Was Thursday. Tupper most recently was quoted with some prominence in the 2011 biographical movie, "The Life of Charles Spurgeon." In the scene, Charles Spurgeon reads from Tupper's Proverbial Philosophy on marriage, and passes the book to his future wife (Susannah Thompson) to read the following quotation from the book: Seek a good wife of thy God, for she is the best gift of his providence; Yet ask not in bold confidence that which he hath not promised. Thou knowest not his good-will :—be thy prayer then submissive thereunto; And leave thy petition to his mercy, assured that he will deal well with thee. If thou art to have a wife of thy youth, she is now living on the earth ; Therefore think of her, and pray for her; yea, though thou hast not seen her.' In the video game, Alice: Madness Returns, Alice retrieves a memory of her mother stating, "Whoever said 'There is no book so bad, but something good may be found in it' never read Martin Farquar Tupper's Proverbial Philosophy." Publications Poetry *''Sacra Poesis''. London: James Nisbet, 1832. *''The Loving Ballad to Brother Jonathan''. London: M. Mason, 1848. *''Poetical Works''. Boston: Phillips Sampson, 1849; Boston: H. Pearce, 1849; New York: John Wiley, 1849, 1860. *''Ballads for the Times; now first collected''. London: 1850. *''Geraldine''. New York: J.Q. Preble, 1850; Philadelphia: Henry F. Anners, 1851. *''Half a Dozen Ballads for Australian emigrants, etc.'' London: Thomas Bosworth, 1853. *''Three Hundred Sonnets''. London: A. Hall, Virtue, 1860. *''Cithara: A selection''. London: Virtue, 1863. *''Shakespeare: An ode for his three hundredth birthday''. London: Hatchard, 1864. *''Our Canadian Dominion: Half a dozen ballads about a king for Canada''. London: F. Agar, 1868. *''A Creed, et cetera.'' London: Simpkin, Marshall, 1870. *''Fifty of the Protestant ballads and "The Anti-ritualistic Directorium". London: William Ridgway, 1874. ''Proverbial Philosophy *''Proverbial philosophy: A book of thoughts and arguments''. London: Joseph Rickerby, 1838; 36th edition, London: Hatchard, 1860. *''Proverbial Philosophy: Second series''. London: Hatchard, 1842. **''Proverbial Philosophy: First and second series''. Boston: Phillps Sampson, 1851. *''A Third Series of Proverbial Philosophy''. London: Edward Moxon, 1867. *''Proverbial Philosophy: The four series complete''. London, Paris & New York : Cassell, Petter, Galpin, 1881. *''Gems from the Proverbial Philosophy''. Auburn, NY: Alden, 1850. Novels *''The Crock of Gold: A rural novel''. London: Richard Bentley, 1844; New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1845. *''Heart: A social novel''. London: Richard Bentley, 1844; New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1845; London: A.H. Virtue, 1849. *''The Twins: A domestic novel''. London: Richard Bentley, 1844; New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1845. *''Stephen Langton; or, The days of King John''. London: Hurst & Blackett, 1858. *''The Rides and Reveries of Æsop Smith''. London: Hurst & Blackett, 1858; Philadelphia: E.H. Butler, 1858. Short fiction *''An Author's Mind: The book of title-pages: Thirty books in one''. London: Richard Bentley, 1841; Philadelphia: Carey & Hart, 1847. Non-fiction *''Probabilities: An aid to faith''. New York: Wiley & Putnam, 1847; London: J. Hatchard, 1851. *''My Life as an Author''. London: Sampson Low, Marston, Searle, & Rivington, 1886. Collected editions *''A Modern Pyramid: To commemorate a septuagint of worthies'' (sonnets & essays). London: J. Rickerby, 1839. *''Gems from Tupper''. Syracuse, NY: Stoddard & Babcock, 1848. *''Complete Prose Works''. Hartford, CT: S. Andrus, 1850. *''An Author's Mind / Miscellaneous Essays / Probabilities''. Philadelphia: E.H. Butler, 1851. *''Some Verse and Prose about National Rifle Clubs''. London & New York: Routledge, Warnes, & Routledge, 1859. Except where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.Search results = au:Martin Tupper, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Mar. 13, 2018. See also *List of British poets References * Notes External links ;Poems *Martin Farquhar Tupper at AllPoetry (270 poems) ;Quotes *Martin Farquhar Tupper at Wikiquote. ;Books * ;About *"Tupper, Martin Farquhar in the [[Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition|1911 Encyclopædia Britannica]] * Tupper, Martin Farquhar Category:1810 births Category:1889 deaths Category:English poets Category:Fellows of the Royal Society Category:Writers from London Category:English male writers Category:19th-century poets Category:English-language poets Category:Poets Category:People from London Category:Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford